At the beginning of the Korean War in 1950 the town of Sinchon in North Korea was allegedly the site of a massacre of civilians by occupying U.S forces. North Korean sources claim the number of civilians killed over the 52-day period at over 35000 people; equivalent to one-fourth the county's population at the time. The North Korean government has operated the Sinchon Museum of American War Atrocities in Sinchon Town since 1958 displaying relics and remains from the incident.